Step back in time at Fern Glade Reserve, Tasmania, Australia

A TripAdvisor review stated that visiting Fern Glade Reserve was “like stepping into a prehistoric paradise.”

Fern Glade Reserve is located just 4kms from Burnie in the north west of Tasmania. The sound of fast flowing water greets you as soon as you get out of your vehicle. Tall trees with fern filled undergrowth line the riverbanks. Gorgeous green grass invites you to sit down and watch the river as it passes by.

Wanting to connect with nature, I found the area to be perfectly peaceful.

Public toilets are easily accessed here. Gas barbeques and undercover seating are just beside the carpark, or you can wander along the designated pathways and find various picnic tables and seats amongst the trees.

This is one of Tasmania’s 60 great short walks. At 500m one way, it can take between 15 minutes to a more leisurely hour to traverse this path. It is a fairly level path with just one slight incline. Walkers should watch the path for tree roots to avoid stumbles.

The walk took me around an hour to walk to complete, as I kept detouring off the main path and following worn tracks through the bush to the river. It was serene watching the water flowing past and inhaling deeply to smell some of the freshest air in the world.

If you are quiet, there is a probability of seeing platypus at play, or observe bandicoots, quolls, ducks, honeyeaters, robins, silvereyes or a grey fantail. Keeping quiet and watching is the key. More than a dozen species of native orchids can also been spotted as you traverse the walk, depending on the time of year you visit.

Interpretive boards give details of the platypus which can be found here. The boards aid in gaining more information about these uniquely Australian mammals.